Unexpected Roadturns

One of myDream Into It corporate students can’t get past the idea that there are situations in life that are beyond our control. She can’t see the sense in talking about Dreams and desires in the face of a sometimes ugly reality.

Have you ever felt that way? Has life ever had you pinned up against the wall?

The truth is that none of us know what’s coming next and chances are, if you live long enough, you’re going to die. You may be feeling healthy and optimistic one moment, then on the floor gasping for breath the next. Your money can be stolen, your heart broken, and your children rise up to curse you. It happens. None of us are exempt from sorrow and tragedy.

You see, it’s not what happens to us that determines who we are–it’s what we think about it and what we do about it that counts. My student has seen some tough scrapes in life. Now, she’s bitter and afraid to hope for a brighter future. This country has seen some tough scrapes too–and the worst thing we can do is to lose hope and let anger and fear preside.

Politics aside, President Obama gave this country something it needs badly when he addressed Congress last week. No, it probably wasn’t a job plan that is going to bail us out of our economic woes. He gave us something much more important than that: He reminded us that we are citizens of the United States of America, that we always look forward in hope and faith, and that we don’t give up. We never give up. And we never will.